Pawlenty on when he decided he wanted to be president: I … don’t know

posted at 9:05 pm on May 19, 2011 by Allahpundit

This is actually a “why do you want to be president?” question dressed up as a “when.” In which case, the correct answer is: “Because I’m an ambitious young politician.” The base-pleasing answer, of course, is: “Because America deserves better than Barack Obama and Mitt Romney.” And the general-election-winning answer is: “Because both parties have neglected the middle class over the past 20 years and it’s time for that to stop.” Either of those latter two responses would have been fine.

And when I ask Pawlenty, during a second interview in Des Moines, Iowa, exactly when he decided he was up to the grand challenge of the presidency, he answers in less than grandiose terms, explaining how he’d set up a political-action committee in 2009. I try again, saying I am curious about when he first imagined himself worthy of the history books, ready to send soldiers to their deaths and endure the national stage’s harsh toll. “I don’t know,” he replies. “I wish I had a good answer for you on that.” Pawlenty says it is not an idea that crossed his mind 15 or 20 years ago but that as he considered life as a relatively young ex-governor, he felt obliged not to take the easy path and “go make some money and play hockey and drink beer.” He adds that he almost didn’t run at all. “Mary and I talked about this at length, and many times, and it was a close call,” he says, mentioning his wife of 24 years. He adds with a laugh, “It could have gone the other way for all the reasons you’re suggesting.”…

“He gets ripped for not being Mr. Charisma,” says Weaver. “But what you see is what you get. I think that’s what voters want these days. They might be willing to sacrifice a little glitz for someone who’s real and can accomplish things.” And if Republicans don’t insist on a street-fighting candidate, it’s always possible that the nicest guy will finish first.

In fairness, would Romney’s or Huntsman’s response be any more convincing? The one major candidate who’s positioned to answer this question in a semi-believable way is Daniels, whose CPAC speech cannily framed him as a guy so alarmed by the “red menace” of debt that he might feel obliged to run for president to help defeat it. (Paul Ryan could make the same argument even more persuasively.) Herman Cain has a good answer potentially too, that career politicians have wrecked American government so thoroughly that it’ll take a first-time officeholder to shake the country out of its stupor. Either way, the bar for answering well enough to win an election is awwwwfully low: The One’s own raison d’etre for running for president after two years in the Senate and a decade as an Illinois backbencher was nothing more than personal messianism. Elect him, we were told, and the economy would rebound, the oceans would cease to rise, and celestial choirs would sing. After that absurdity, who cares how anyone answers this question?

I continue to believe that T-Paw will slog along at 6-10 percent until the winter, when he’ll suddenly get a second look from people dissatisfied with the rest of the field. And if that’s not enough to push him over the top in Iowa, the Iowa winner will so alarm the GOP establishment that they’ll rally behind Pawlenty before New Hampshire as an electable moderate capable of bringing the base onboard. He’s got a solid shot at winning Nikki Haley’s endorsement, so he’s well positioned in South Carolina if he can make it that far. What could go wrong?

T-Paw, the most boring guy to hit the scene… since I can’t remember when.

upinak on May 19, 2011 at 9:08 PM

After the excitement of Obamania, I’ll happily take boring ol’ T-Paw. He may not be exciting but he’s got a good record and the right attitude toward fiscal solvency. If he endorses the Ryan plan, he’ll be hard to beat.

I do like Herman Cain, and I might tolerate Daniels. We’ll see how this election season goes.

Herman Cain and Mitt Romney are the only ones with fire in their belly. And either of them will do. Actually that’s not a bad ticket.

petunia on May 19, 2011 at 9:12 PM

Cain I can dig. But if Romney gets the nom, you’ll have to convince me not to stay home. His image is great and he seems like a good guy overall, but his record is AWFUL and he refuses to own up to its awfulness.

If you believe the theory that people look for polar opposites when replacing a failed President, then maybe Pawlenty gets some traction on this boring personality stuff as it gets closer. Especially with anyone that actually bought the Obama charisma canard last time.

You might also recall that Pawlenty didn’t especially want to be governor. That magnificent bastard, Karl Rove, convinced him to step aside in his run for Senate, for Norm Coleman — and now we have Senator Franken….

You might also recall that Pawlenty didn’t especially want to be governor. That magnificent bastard, Karl Rove, convinced him to step aside in his run for Senate, for Norm Coleman — and now we have Senator Franken….

the correct answer would have been when I saw the out of control spending by the gop during the Bush years i started to thing hard ablut running for POTUS to return this country to the prosperity of the 80’s. Once Obama and is insane spending got into the WH my mind was 100% made up. I will return this country to its fiscal healthy if elected something we have forgotten for the last 20 years.

T-Paw is like “Mr. Smith Goes to Washington.” Without the surprise or passion.

Is he bored? Does he think we’re all like Minnesotans who are grateful not to have a muscle-bound lunatic screaming at them or a curious Marxist with an unrevealed past preaching self-sacrifice while he golfs endlessly and his fat, unseemly wife works off a couple of calories doing the Hoola Hoop on the WH lawn after eating endless goodies?

Hasn’t it occurred to him that he can find work elsewhere? Maybe he can help Al Bore with that flagging Climate Change thingy?

I somehow get the distinct impression that T-Paw is looking for his next stop but does not have the solid conservative creds, much less appeal, that will inspire a nation that desperately needs an American leader.

What hurdle? That he can’t quite figure out why he even wants to be president? He sounds like Obama as far as that goes. Obama seems to be a little confused as to what he’s doing in the White House as well.

Then he better hope Palin doesn’t get in. Haley likely isn’t governor without Palin’s endorsement and propping her up. She owes her, so if SP runs, Haley endorses her or stays out of it. At least that’s my view.

I’d actually probably pick Pawlenty out of the current group. Maybe Cain.

I’d imagine if you polled most Republicans and asked them to rate the candidates 1 through whatever, Pawlenty would be middle of the pack or a little better on most of them. And be the absolute top on less than 10%. Maybe 5%. On the bright side, I’m pretty sure that he and Cain would have the lowest percentages of people that rated them at the very bottom.

That probably says it all about his personality, but it may not be such a bad thing.

Not so fast. I can only speak for myself, but I can tell you that Pawlenty is way ahead of Daniels, Romney, Huntsman, Gingrich, and all the other various and sundry “serious” candidates in my book.

Kataklysmic on May 19, 2011 at 9:43 PM

For those of us who care about legal and illegal immigration, he scores the second highest grade from Numbers USA behind Bachmann. He’s got like a C+ and everyone else is either a D- or F. I know I’m starting take a second look.

the RNC’s answer to the dems rock star? Mr. boring……and the really funny thing is people in DC think this is a great idea. Now I know how they came up with the idea of turning our food into gasoline.

freaking idiots

unseen on May 19, 2011 at 10:13 PM

Actually, ethanol production was Pawlenty’s sneaky plan to get Minnesota farmers to vote for him, but don’t tell anybody. If you don’t get the votes, you don’t get to do anything. But nationally, ethanol’s not much of an issue anymore. That’s politics. There’s going to be pandering going on.

Let’s face it: “Excitement” and “Minnesota” aren’t really two words that work naturally together. Of course, Prince was from the Twin Cities, but unless Pawlenty gets a gelled up pompadour and starts wearing purple jumpsuits …

Tax and Cap Tim, may be boring, but gosh darn.. he will keep you on your toes concerning your money vs the EPA!

Do you really want someone who thinks that the EPA should control emissions out of your house?

upinak on May 19, 2011 at 9:15 PM

Nah. We should go with someone who went even further. One that not only advocated for carbon caps but increased taxes on domestic oil producers for the purpose of “spreading the wealth around” in the form of annual welfare payments paid to everybody!